Trapped behind Gwyndorr’s towering walls, Shara longs to unlock the secrets that surround her. She believes the Cerulean Dusk Dreamer is the key. The power rock gives vivid dreams of the past and future but it also has a dark side.

Its forces lay siege to her future, tightening her chains. In seeking help, Shara rekindles a forbidden friendship with Nicho, the Lowborn lawbreaker facing banishment to the Rif’twine Forest.

Together, Shara and Nicho must thwart the plans of their enemies. But what if the power they unleash is an even greater chain than what they’ve come to bear?

Book 1 of the The Poison Tree Path Chronicles series.

Joan Campbell’s Chains of Gwyndorr traces the daily paths of a varied cast as they slowly entwine toward a climax. A poisonous forest encroaches on a city of conqueror Highborns, who forbid education to the defeated Lowborn caste but remain strangled by their own tyrannical government. Unique worlds and sympathetic characters entice readers through a maze of slow-moving action. Mysterious pasts, destroyed lore, powerful secrets, and a magical red-gold bird bring hope and courage to people in need. Tension rises page by page until the reader’s expectations have been stretched taut. If all the novel’s vague allusions to future revelations bear fruit in the final installment, the Poison Tree Path Chronicles will prove a fantastic series for those who enjoy complex plots.

Best for: Lovers of in-depth character development and leisurely, tantalizing reads.

Discern: Depictions of cruel beatings, death from toxic flora and overexposure, and practical magic that can induce violent effects.